


Replaced

by shadowNova



Category: Dragon Age
Genre: Alone- Quest, F/M, Happy Ending (Maybe.), Slavery, Violence, slight AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-02-02
Updated: 2013-02-02
Packaged: 2017-11-28 00:07:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/668025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowNova/pseuds/shadowNova
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Danarius didn't end his experiments after Fenris left. He continued them, creating a replacement for Fenris. After Danarius's death, the group is left having to decide what to do about the strange, almost feline, girl.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Replaced

"It really is you." The red-haired elf didn't look up as Fenris approached. He stopped a few feet away, blinking. "Varania? I... I remember you. We played in our masters courtyard while mother worked. You called me.." The elf trailed off, trying to remember. "Leto. That's your name." Varania stood, turning away. "What's wrong? Why are you so-" Behind him, a woman with short dark hair, vibrant blue eyes, and a scar across her nose spoke up, sounding alarmed. "Fenris, we have to get out of here!" The group turned towards the stairs, watching as Danarius walked down leisurely. "Ah, my little Fenris. Predictable as always." Varania stood off to the side, looking at something behind the magister. "I'm sorry it came to this, Leto..." Fenris took a step towards the woman, growling. "You led him here." "Now now, Fenris. She did what any good Imperial citizen should." Anders looked towards the stairs, tuning out the conversation for a moment as he tried to figure out what Varania was staring at. He jolted out of his thoughts when the magister spoke. "The word, is master. Well then, if you won't come willingly, I suppose I may as well let my little pet handle you. Yataki, be a dear and subdue him for me."

 

There was a blur of movement, and before anyone could react, -something- launched itself at Fenris. The elven warrior rolled away, while the others stared. Where Fenris had stood moments before, now crouched a young girl. Her hair was white as snow, the same color as the intricate markings that traced her skin- just like Fenris's. Unlike Fenris, however, the magister had not, evidently, stopped at a single modification. Her body was covered in a thin layer of white fur, with small tufts at the ends of her pointed ears. She crouched, moving with a cat like grace, golden eyes flicking back to Danarius as she circled Fenris. Her clothes could barely be called as such- just a slip of cloth around her waist. "Enchanting, isn't she? A kitten to match my little wolf. Not as strong as you, but her agility more than makes up for it, I assure you."

 

The girl made another circle around Fenris, before launching herself at him again. Fenris leapt back, batting her away with the flat of his blade. She rolled back, impacting with Anders, and everyone jerked from the trance-like state they were in, jumping into the fray. Anders looped an arm around the gril, preventing her from rejoining the fray while everyone else focused on Danarius and his mages. The girl glowed blue, clawing at his arms  Where Fenris's hands would just go straight through him in this state, her fingers left gouges one would be more likely to expect from a wild animal. Anders struggled with her, finally managing to get her arms pinned in time to see Fenris approaching Danarius, glowing. He yanked the magister up by the shirt collar, growling into his face, "You are no longer my master."

  
  
The girl stilled as Fenris shoved his hand into Danarius's chest, ripping out his heart. When he dropped the magister, she made a sound, one no human, elf, or dwarf should be able to make- a sound of complete misery, grief and pain, more animal then human- and yanked herself loose, running over to the magister's body. She nudged the body with her head, looking up at Fenris in shock, The elf turned away from her, approaching his sister as the small girl wrapped her arms around the body, sobbing. Varania held her hands up in a placating gesture. "I had no choice, Leto." "Stop calling me that.." Fenris closed the distance between her and him. "He was going to make me his apprentice. I would have been a magister." Anders looked from Varania to the girl- Yataki, was it?- unsure which to focus on. "You sold out your own brother to become a  magister?" Fenris spat. "Your sisters a mage? You bloody hypocryte! You really are just jealous!" Hawke glanced at Anders, motioning for him to shut up, and inclined her head towards Yataki.

  
  
"You have no idea what we went through, what I've had to do since mother died. This was my only chance." Anders looked away, moving to kneel by the girl, who was clinging to the magister's body, sobbing pitifully into his bloody chest. He tuned out the others as he reached a hand out towards her, laying it on her shoulder lightly. She lifted her head to growl at him, tightening her grip on the body. Anders hummed softly, like he would to a small cat. "I'm not going to hurt you, or your.. Master." The word left a bitter taste in the mages mouth, as he reached out to stroke the girls hair. She fliched away, baring her sharp little teeth at him. He shook his head, with drawing his hand as he heard Varania run out of the building, looking up to see Fenris and Hawke approaching. "Anders, we need to get rid of the body." Yataki looked up, growling, and tightened her grip, protectively. Tears streamed down her young face, her golden eyes bloodshot from her crying. Anders nodded a little, grabbing the girl and scooping her up. She fought half heartedly, reaching for the body with a pained sound as Fenris picked it up, slinging it over his shoulder. "What are you going to do with it?" Fenris paused. "Burn it."

  
  
At this, Yataki started crying and struggling again, leaving deep gouges in Anders arms as she howled mournfully. Hawke looked at the girl, then walked over, resting her hand on the child's forehead. The girl fought against the magic, but, worn out as she was from her crying, she hardly stood a chance, and she nded up giving in, falling asleep in Anders's arms.  "Get her cleaned up. We'll decide what to do about her tomorrow. Varric might be willing to loan you his room to work on her." Anders just nodded, heading up the stairs to Varric's room. He kicked the door twice, lightly, and after a moment, the dwarf opened the door. "Blondy! Good to see you, I-" Varric stopped midsentence,  blinking. "- ...What's with the kid?" Anders shrugged. "Hawke told me to get her cleaned up, I'll explain if you get me something to clean her -with-. Deal?" "Deal."

  
  
Fifteen minutes later, Anders was carefully cleaning the blood off the girl, averting his eyes. "So, let me get this straight. Broody's sister led him into a trap, and then Danarius told the kid to attack him?" Anders nodded, not paying much attention to the dwarf, more focused on cleaning the various injuries that peppered the girl's skin. "So... Danarius replaced Broody with a kid?" "That's what it looks like. Hand me a towel?" Anders lifted the girl out of the tub, wrapping her in the offered towel. "Thanks." For now, Anders ignored Justice, buzzing angrilly in the back of his mind as he set Yataki on the table Varric had cleared off. "You said the magister called her Yataki, right?" Anders nodded absently, healing what wounds he could reach from the girls front, then rolling her over onto her stomach to treat her back, working to not think of what could have caused the injuries. "A kitten to his wolf," he muttered. He couldn't heal all of them, he discovered, as many were old and deep, made with something his magic could not counteract. His brow furrowed, as he gave in, simply dressing the wounds as best he could.

 

There was a knock at the door, but Anders didn't look up from his work until he felt a hand on his shoulder, looking up blearily to see Isabela holding a bottle of Lyrium under his nose. "Hawke said not to let you work yourself to death, Sparkle-fingers. Drink up!" Anders made a face, grabbing the lyrium and swigging it back. "Go sleep. My turn to play guard duty for now." "But-" "Shoo-shoo, Sparkle-fingers. Go sleep. You can't help anyone if you're dead." Isablela nudged him out of the room, shutting the door behind him. Isabela waited a few minutes after Anders left, before carefully picking up the girl on the table, still wrapped in the towel. "There. Never say I don't do anything for you, Anders." She carried the girl to her room, setting her down on the bed. "You may have been able to fool Sparkle-fingers, you know, but you can't trick me."

 

Yataki opened her eyes, blinking up at Isabela, hunching her shoulders and pulling the towel tightly around herself. "There we go." Isabela pat the girls head a little, grinning. "If you want to get dressed, you can go ahead and look through my trunk, probably something you can wear. Maybe you can turn a skirt into a dress." Isabela turned away to let the girl get some clothes on, leaning against the bed. After a few moments, the girl made a soft, whining noise, and Isabela turned, looknig at her.

 

Yataki was wearing one of Isabela's smaller skirts- well, small for Isabela. She had to clutch it up to her chest by the hem, practically swimming in it. She looked utterly lost, and more than a little scared, gold eyes fixed on Isabela pleadingly. Isabela sighed, walking over. She gently pried the girls hands from the skirt, taking it and tying it so it would stay in place. "There. Better?" Yataki nodded slightly, hunching her shoulders. "How about we go out and buy you some clothes in the morning, hmm?" Yataki hunched her shoulders, not answering, and Isabela sighed, ruffling her hair. "If I leave, will you stay here?" The child hesitated, then nodded. "Alright then. I'll be back in a bit. Stay." Isabela slipped out of the room, locking the door behind herself.

 

Out in the main room of the tavern, Hawke was telling the others about the situation. "So he made another? That's awful!" Merril looked at Hawke, green eyes wide. Isabela slid into the seat next to the elf, patting her head. "Yup, kinda is. So, what are we gonna do about her?" Isabela looked to Hawke, who leaned back in her chair, thinking. "We can't send her back to her home, since her.. 'Owner', is dead now.. And even if she has any living family members, she probably doesn't remember them, so... I dunno." Hawke shrugged. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, I guess. Why aren't you with her?" Hawke looked to Isabela. "She won't run off. Door's locked, no windows- no escape routes. She needs some clothes, though." Hawke nodded a little. "Merril, can you take her to get some in the morning?" "Huh? Oh! Yes, of course I can!" "Great. Everyone get some sleep, then."

**Author's Note:**

> Yataki translates to Kitten, in Greek. *Any* feedback is appreciated- if I'm writing a character wrong, feel free to yell at me. It's been a while since I tried to write Dragon Age stuff, the only character I'm at all confident about is Merril.


End file.
